Easy Coffee Cake Muffins with Cinnamon Swirl

This recipe for Coffee Cake Muffins was inspired by a recent trip I took with my daughter. Let me show you how delicious these cinnamon muffins really are!

They’re moist on the inside and have a crumble cinnamon topping that is to-die-for.

Amazing right? After our trip, I just knew I had to make these at home.

My daughter and I were visiting LA when we found this adorable coffee shop in Long Beach. We stopped by for a yummy breakfast, and my morning coffee fix.

The muffins on display were gigantic blueberry muffins and these scrumptious crumble muffins with cinnamon swirl.

Those inspired me to make this recipe so that we could enjoy these epic muffins again, without a trip across the country.

Easy Coffee Cake Muffins

By the look on her face, the crumbly topping was calling out her name. Ok, and mine.

A few coffees, a hot chocolate, and a few (more) more muffins later, we decided we were going to replicate the recipe at home.

Being in the kitchen with my daughter reminds me of the many times I would bake with my grandmother.

Recipes like Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins are long-time family favorites and perfect for baking together.

I remember wanting to lick the bowl after we were done transferring the batter or sneak a spatula lick on the way to the kitchen sink.

The batter for the recipe comes together rather easily in a large mixing bowl. However, you’ll need a medium and small bowl to combine the crumble topping and the optional cinnamon swirl.

Coffee Cake Muffin Ingredients

This coffee cake muffin recipe consists of: muffin batter, a crumbly cinnamon topping, a dreamy cinnamon swirl in the center of the muffin, and vanilla glaze dizzled over the tops.

Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make each component of these delicious breakfast muffins. If the ingredient list looks a little long, don’t worry; most ingredients are used repeatedly throughout the recipe.

• all-purpose flour: the flour of choice for these muffins, if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour. 
• brown sugar: has a rich flavor and high moisture content, making baked goods moist. 
• baking powder: the leavening agent that helps these muffins rise. 
• baking soda: works with the baking powder to help the muffins rise and give them a light brown color. 
• salt: enhances the flavors of the other cinnamon and brown sugar. 
• milk: regular or non-dairy milk works just fine. 
• melted butter: gives these muffins a tender crumb and delicious buttery flavor. If you want to make this dairy-free, use neutral oil or coconut oil. 
• eggs: binds the batter ingredients and helps the muffins rise. 
• vanilla extract: makes the cinnamon and brown sugar flavors taste even better! 

Crumb topping: 

• all-purpose flour: the flour base for this crumbly coffee cake topping. Again, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour to make this gluten-free. 
• brown sugar: gives the crumble a richer flavor. 
• white sugar: combined with brown sugar for the right texture. 
• cinnamon: more cinnamon goodness. 
• butter: hot butter helps melt the sugars and makes the mixture crumbly. 

Cinnamon Swirl: 

• white sugar: easier to sprinkle over the muffin batter. 
• cinnamon: a triple dose of cinnamon! After all, these are coffee cake muffins. 

Vanilla Glaze: 

• powdered sugar: to make the vanilla glaze. 
• vanilla extract: essential for a vanilla glaze. 
• heavy cream, half & half, or milk: just enough to give this glaze a creamy, drizzly consistency. 

How to Make Coffee Cake Muffins

These Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins are super easy to make. You can keep it simple by using the base recipe, or add-in that epic cinnamon swirl! Watch how they are to make in this easy recipe video.

Prefer a step-by-step? Here’s how these epic coffee cake muffins are made.

1. Prep 
   Preheat the oven to 375F and line a muffin pan with paper liners. 
2. Sift the dry ingredients
   In a large bowl, sift the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
3. Prepare the batter
   In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until the batter is thick and smooth. 
4. Make the Crumble Topping
   In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugars, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand. 
5. Make the Cinnamon Swirl
   In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. 
6. Assemble
   Scoop 2 tablespoons of muffin batter into each muffin cup. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture onto the batter and give it a quick swirl with the back of a spoon. Top with additional muffin batter until the cup is filled ¾th of the way. 
7. Add the crumble
   Sprinkle a tablespoon of the crumble topping onto each muffin. 
8. Bake
   Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. 
9. Cool off
   Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool slightly. 
10. Make the drizzle
    Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream, stir until smooth. 
11. Drizzle and serve 
    Use a large spoon to drizzle the baked muffins with vanilla glaze. Grab a muffin and enjoy! 

How to Make the Crumb Topping

The sweet, cinnamon muffins are stacked high with glorious crumb topping. Trust me, you don’t want to skip this part!

To bring this crumbly goodness together grab the flour, sugars and cinnamon and mix together in a medium bowl.

Stir in melted butter with a fork until it the mixture starts to look like wet sand.

I know, sand isn’t the yummiest comparison, but when you taste this buttery, cinnamon crumble, you’ll know it was more than worth it.

After trying it on these coffee cake muffins, be sure to try my pear muffins with crumbly cinnamon topping next.

How to Store Coffee Cake Muffins

Coffee Cake muffins should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-4 days. Place a paper towel over the muffins before sealing them in the container to prevent them from getting soggy.

To extend the muffin’s shelf life up to a week, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container, but it will slightly alter their flavor and texture.

You can also freeze muffins by placing them on a baking sheet and freezing for 1 hour until frozen solid. Transfer the muffins to a freezer-safe zip bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, reheat the muffins in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

While the muffins are baking, I usually begin to brew a cup of coffee for me and take the time to talk to my kids.

For me, the kitchen is the perfect place to make these moments special, to start conversations with them about life, things, and the little thoughts that run through their minds.

These muffins were made with a lot of patience and much love by my daughter with each turn of the spoon in the mixing bowl and I’m excited to share the recipe with you.

I’m happy knowing your house will fill with a deliciously sweet cinnamon smell as the muffins bake in the oven.

This recipe is the keepsake of our amazing time together and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it for you.

If you can’t get enough of that cinnamon-y goodness this time of year, try my incredible cinnamon roll pancakes for your next breakfast treat!

Do you have a favorite recipe to bake because the aroma fills the house and brings memories? 

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